New Delhi: The makers of Bigg Boss 19 have been slapped with a legal notice by Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL), India's oldest copyright licensing organisation, over the unauthorised use of copyrighted music. The organisation has demanded Rs 2 crore in damages and licence fees for the alleged infringement.
As per a Mid-Day report, showrunners Endemol Shine India and Banijay have been accused of using the songs Chikni Chameli from Agneepath and Dhat Teri Ki Main from Gori Teri Pyaar Mein in the show's 11th episode.
The notice, dated 19 September, was served by advocate Hiten Ajay Wasan and names the production house's directors—Thomas Gousset, Nicolas Chazarain, and Deepak Dhar—as responsible parties.
Both songs are licensed to Sony Music India, with their public rights administered by PPL.
According to the report, using them without authorisation from the organisation amounts to willful infringement. In addition to seeking financial damages and licence fees, PPL has also issued the Bigg Boss 19 makers a cease-and-desist notice, prohibiting the use of its sound recordings without approval.
Salman's rumoured fees for this season are approximately between Rs 120–150 crores, reported The Indian Express.
The actor will receive between Rs 8 and 10 crores every weekend and will host the show for a total of 15 weeks. Bigg Boss 19 will predominantly broadcast on OTT and have a repeat airing on TV the same day. Multiple sources confirmed that the new season does not have a big budget compared to previous seasons.
Bigg Boss 19 premiered on Jio Hotstar from 24 August. This year, the fresh episodes are dropped on OTT first and premiere on Colors TV one and a half hours later.
Among the contenders, Tanya Mittal, Amaal Mallik, Kunickaa Sadanand, and Gaurav Khanna are dominating the headlines so far.
Source: India Today